Rideshare Prices & Wait Times Are On The Rise

If you’re one of the many guests who rely heavily on rideshare services when visiting Walt Disney World, you may be in for a surprise next time you request a ride. Across the country, customers of both Lyft and Uber have reported a startling change when using the services. Not only have wait times increased dramatically, so too have the prices.

Like many other topics we’ve discussed in the past months, this change is said to be due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. More specifically, the rideshare services are struggling to find enough workers to meet demand and therefore prices [and wait times] increase. This is something that you may have noticed across a number of industries since the start of the pandemic, but seems to be more striking with rideshare services due to how easily the cost can be passed on directly to the customers.

According to customers who have shared their experiences on social media in the past few months, these price increases and wait times have been significant. Some even reporting that their rideshare from the airport cost as much as their plane ticket. Of course, it can be easy to dismiss these accounts as potentially exaggerated, but they are backed by reports from research firms [such as Rakuten Intelligence] and even the companies themselves. In fact, back in May, the CEO of Uber addressed the increased wait times and pricing:

“ETA’s are higher than we want them to be, surge level prices have increased as we have not seen drivers supply keep up with the demand growth in the U.S. […] The supply position is something we’re still working on. It’s definitely getting better but we’re not happy with the ETAs and price levels we see and that is something we’re going to invest to improve on.”

So why exactly are we talking about this and how does it impact you?

As we mentioned at the top of this discussion, if you’re a person who relies heavily on on rideshare services when visiting Walt Disney World, these changes to pricing and wait times are something you may want to keep an eye on. Often times, when people talk about taking rideshares at Walt Disney World, they point to them being quicker than Disney Transportation and more affordable than renting a car, but this might not necessarily be the case at the moment. Because of this, we think it might be worth the effort to do some price checking on the rides you’re most likely to take during your trip.

For the Happy Haunts out there who often go with rideshares because they’re quicker than Disney Transportation. [Especially if you’re the type of person who chooses rideshares, because you’re running late.] You’ll want to take into consideration that this may no longer be the last-minute-I’m-running-late option that you’ve counted on it being in the past. While at one time you might have waited 5 minutes for a ride, some users are reporting having to wait more like 20 to 30 minutes; making rideshares comparable to some forms of Disney Transportation. There are also some users who have been reporting that there’s a higher likelihood that a driver will cancel on you, making the wait time even longer; this being something you may be able to avoid by scheduling your ride in advance.

Whether these price hikes of long wait times for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft will be permanent remains to be seen. Many anticipate that as more drivers join Uber and Lyft things will level out, but that’s something only time will tell. For now, the best we can do is be aware of the change and crunch the numbers to determine whether or not using the rideshare services during our vacation is the right choice for us. Of course, other services [taxis, hired car services and shuttle services] continue to be available to guests. While they were once thought of as more expensive than rideshare services, they might seem more appealing now with these price and wait time increases. One way or another, the best way to not be caught off-guard is to do your research before making your way down to the magic.

Have you experienced any of the price increases or increased wait times in the past few months? Also, does the fact that you might have to pay more and wait longer impact your decision to use a rideshare service in the future? We’d love to hear all of your thoughts on this topic, so head on over to the 2 Foolish Mortals Jamboree to join in the conversation!